Attachment for armchairs



M 1933- J. F.- FITZSIMMONS I 1,912,267

ATTACHMENT FOR ARMCHAIRS Filed May 7, 1930 g: mmzhmwu;

\ INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES JOHN F.FITZSIMMONS, or AUBUBNDALE, MASSACHUSETTS j ATTACHMENT roR ARMoHAIRsApplication filed May 7,

My present invention has reference to an attachment for arm chairs andwhile primarily designed as a convenient means for assisting the studentin his studies may be employed as a reading table, a writing table andfor other purposes.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an attachment inthe nature of a table to be removably supported upon the arms of a chairwhich has the lower edges of its sides cut at angles to rest on the armsof the chair and so that the top will be arranged at a desired anglewith respect to the comfort of the occupant of the chair who uses thedevice and wherein the side members are laterally adjustable on the topso that the device can be successfully employed upon arm chairs ofdifferent widths and further wherein the top is provided with a pocketclosed by a transparent plate and which pocket is designed for thereception of quiz questions or other pamphlets containing matter to bestudied by the student but, of course, is susceptible for use for othermanuscripts and further wherein the top has associated therewith springinfiuenced clamps which hold a manuscript or a book in open positionthereon and still further wherein the top has its inner edge providedwith a curved depression to afford comfort to the occupant of the chairand the user of the improvement.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in theimprovement hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a substantially central longitudinal sectional view of theimprovement supported upon the arms of a chair.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the improvement.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line l-4 of Figure 2.

As disclosed by the drawing, the side memhere 1 of the improvement areof substantially triangular shape. The sides are preferably of wood andhave either their upper or lower edge out angularly from the outer tothe inner ends of the said sides to provide the angular formationthereof. Each side 1930. Serial no. 450,475.

has fixed on its inner face the depending arm of an angle bracket 2.,The' inwardly fextending horizontal arms of these brackets 2 arearranged flush withthe upper edges of the sides 1 and are each providedwith a central elongated slot 3. It is tobenoted that the horizontalarms of the brackets are of a materiallygreater length than thedepending arms thereof. 1 g -,Supported upon the upper edgesof the sidesthere is the top member 4 of the improvement. The top is preferably inthe nature of a wooden board, of sufficient length? andwidth'and thesaidtop has its inner edge, from points adjacentits corners cut to providean arcuate recess, as indicated by the numeral 5. The upper face of thetop 4 is provided with a substantially rectangular. pocket- 6- whichreceives a removable transparent plate 7, and-any desired means'isprovided for sustaining the plate 7 in the pocket flush; with the outerface of the top 4. The pocket 6 is designed to receive therein pamphletscOntaining questions to be answered by a student when the device isemployed to assist such student in his studies but the pocket maycontain therein other manuscript which, of course, is visible throughthe plate 7 The bottom or under face of the top is provided with spacedbolts 8 whose shanks are received in the slots 3 of the brackets 2 andwhereby the brackets may be adjusted either toward or away from eachother to permit of the device being properly sustained upon the arms ofa chair 9.

From practice I have found that the device when positioned upon the armsof the chair will engage the said arms with a suflicient friction as toprevent a sliding movement of the said device 011 the said arms,although, of course, the lower edges of the sides 1 may be provided withstrips of felt or like facing to increase the frictional engagement ofthe device with the arms of the chair and likewiseprevent the marring ofthe chair arms.

Passing through suitable openings at an equidistance from the center ofthe top and inward of the pocket 6 are the shanks of clamping plates 10which have their outer portions offset and provided with curved lips 11.The shanks of the plates 10 have openings adjacent to the inner or lowerends thereof and through these openings there are passed the reducedends of arched leaf springs 12 each of the springs having one of itsends suitably fixed upon the under face The spring clamps, provided bythe plates 10 and the springs 12 afford a means of efiectivelysustaining a't'est paper or an open book upon the top 4 and it isbelieved that the construction of my improvement and the advantagesthereof Will be understood and ap= preciated Without further detaileddescriptidn. 4 I

Havin described the invention, 1 claim? An attachment comprising a topmember, adjustable eans for supporting the top memher at anindinationythe latter being cut away to provide an arcuate recess-in itslower end and havin aligned openings disposed adjacent to the edge ofthe recess, clamping plates having depending shanks passing through theopenings and the shanks having openings adjacent to the lower endsthereof, arched leaf springs havin one of their ends liked to the innerside 'of the top member and their opposite ends reduced and passedthrough the openings 'of the shanks to hold the plates in clampingengagement with the upper surface of the top member, and the platesbeing directed toward the upper edge of the top member and having theirupper end portions Offset in a manner to provide upturned curved lips. Ir

In testimony Where'ofI affix my signature;

JOHN F. FITZSIMMONS.

